We are a group of like minded enthusiasts who shun formulae wargaming with rules and regulations without knowledge. Our philosophy is one of " if it happened in history it must be able to be replicated on our games".... oh dear sounds pompous, it's simple really old fashioned and enjoyable without long charts and section N para Y allows me to jump your wall by 6 mm ha ha.

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Friday, 11 September 2015

San Francessca Convent 1090-Spain

I'm not usually reduced to tears whilst playing a game,but last night,the "Devil's Duo" or the "Satanic Twins" ie Brian and Paul succeeded in reducing me to a tearful wreck!!-During our games we have a mechanism that allows you to "kill" an officer by throwing a combination of a "5" on an average dice,then throwing a "kill" on a kill/miss dice-now this probably happens about 3 or 4 times during the average game-not last night it didn't!! 13,yes THIRTEEN times it happened to me,leaving my Moorish army a leaderless rabble,and sent it to inevitable defeat at the hands of "El Cid" and his Spanish army-woe is me!!!

Top photo is the scenario,bottom photo is the table before any movement-Paul commanded the left of the Spanish(mostly cavalry),Brian commanded the mainly Infantry on the right-I was in command of the Moors.

My plan was to extend my line of cavalry on my right,to out-flank Paul's heavier types-but Paul was having none of it!! and he also extended his line,using his super-duper Normans-the swine!!

On my left,I have raced two cavalry units into the gap between the hill and the table edge,hoping to get a 2:1 advantage over Brian-I didn't quite manage it but did ok in the ensuing melee,meanwhile my infantry and Brian's move slowly towards each other.

On the Cavalry flank,we both charged into each other,and this is where the Officer slaying began-one after the other they fell off their horses,to cries of delight from both Paul and Brian! and just crying from me!!

On the other flank,my initial success has been marred by Brian reinforcing the melee with a unit of the dreaded Normans,and a mass brawl has erupted,which I am losing.This put me in a most perilous position,because if he kept winning he would eventually get into my rear(no jokes please,this is serious wargaming!!)

On my right flank,my cavalry line is being fragmented,and without an officer in sight,my morale is bound to suffer sooner or later(I think it may be sooner!!)

Hurrah!! my infantry has charged into Brian's static formation,and the melee is going my way,if only I can keep my officers away from the Demonic Dice throwing of Brian.Well,no I couldn't and they fell like "nine-pins" putting a dent in my morale -once again,woe is me!!

This shows the disarray on my right flank,Paul's cavalry are all over me like a "Friday Night Rash"-time to call a halt to this humiliation-would they accept a draw?-does that two finger gesture mean two draws??This was good game,loads of excitement,colour and bloody lucky dice throws!!Roll on Sunday,we will be trying out the cavalry part of Ramilles,to see how it works out before our planned re-fight on the 10th October.